PETER ANDRE - ANDRE CHECKED INTO PSYCH WARD AFTER KNIFE ATTACK

ANDRE CHECKED INTO PSYCH WARD AFTER KNIFE ATTACK

Australian pop star PETER ANDRE checked himself into a psychiatric unit after a violent gang attack which left him fearing for his life.
The Mysterious Girl hitmaker reveals the incident, which occurred in his native Australia in the 1990s, happened late at night when a group of thugs pinned him against a wall and threatened to slash his throat.
Andre only escaped when a woman he knew scared his attackers off.
He says, "One night, I went out quite late to get something from a shop. As I was walking down the street, I noticed a group of Middle Eastern guys. One broke away and grabbed me. He pushed me against a wall and stuck a knife to my throat and shouted, 'Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you.'
"Another took his blade and ran it across my face. I was completely terrified. Then I heard this woman I know running at me with her security. The gang legged it (ran away)."
Andre admits the incident left him emotionally scarred and needing psychiatric help.
He adds, "It got so extreme I was having up to 20 panic attacks a day. I couldn't cope. I couldn't work. I ended up checking myself in to a psychiatric ward in New York. I spent two weeks there going to group therapy, talking to people. I was then discharged and put on some seriously strong medication, which actually made me worse. It was a really bad time."